Percussion fuse for land mines



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ALBERT DIELS BY M HIM Aug. 26, 1958 A. DIELS 2,848,949

PERCUSSION FUSE FOR LAND MINES Filed May 18, 1956 a Sheets-Sheet s FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

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at ent 2,848,949 PERCUSSION FUSE. FOR LAND lVIINES Albert Diels, Brussels-Uccle, Belgium, assignor to Poudreries Reunies de Belgique S. A., Brussels, Belgium, a corporation of Belgium Application May 18, 1956, Serial No. 585,846 Claims priority, application Germany May 18, 1955 1 Claim. (Cl. 102-73) The present invention relates to percussion fuses for land mines and similar explosive devices.

The fuse of this invention is adapted to be used with an ignition body as an anti-personnel mine and, in combination with an anti-tank mine, as an ignition device for such larger mines. Mines of the latter type may comprise a cylindrical or polygonal explosive body with a cavity for arrangement of the fuse and ignition body aggregate therein. Preferably, the explosive body is covered only by a lacquer resistant to humic acids or by a fabric impregnated with such a lacquer. Combined land mines of this type may comprise a pressure plate resiliently connected to the explosive body by an intermediate elastic member to transfer the pressure of a load from the plate to the fuse. Alternatively, the pressure plate may be mounted on breakable pins. The fuse of the invention may be used with the above-described types of mines, with other suitable explosive charges or with ignition bodies alone, as explained.

In my copending application Serial No. 482,593, filed January 18, 1955, and now abandoned, there is disclosed a land mine fuse with two horizontally moving, spring-mounted strikers or firing pins held in cocked position and out of contact with the primer charge by means of a spring retaining means fixedly connected to the pressure plate of the mine. The pressure plate is frangibly mounted in the mine cover and, when a sufficient load is applied to the cover, the pressure plate is detached therefrom and depressed, thereby disengaging the retaining means from the springs, propelling the strikers against the primer charge, and igniting the same.

In the fuse of the present invention, two spring-mounted strikers are held in cocked position and out of contact with a primer charge by means of a spring retaining means fixedly attached to a pressure member which is secured against vertical movement by a frangible pin. The spring retaining means comprises a cylindrical skirt on the pressure member and a pair of apertures in said skirt arranged above the primer charge, the spring-mounted strikers being horizontally propelled through said apertures against the primer charge when the skirt moves downwardly with the pressure member.

A preferred embodiment of the fuse of this invention and its combination with an anti-tank mine will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. l is a longitudinal section through a fuse;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section along line H-H of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a land mine incorporating the fuse of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, fuse F comprises a casing of non-magnetic material, preferably of plastic, which includes bottom portion 2 and cover 1. The cover is provided with a longitudinal bearing for pressure member 3 which is secured in position by pin 4 held in the casing by means of elastic plastic ring 10. The

Patented Aug. 26, 1958 pressure member has integrally connected thereto a cylindrical skirt 6 having side windows 11. Bottom 2 of the casing is provided with an interiorly extending openbottomed dome 7 communicating with cylindrical detonator housing 12. Skirt 6 partially surrounds dome 7 which serves as housing for primer charge 9. Detonator 8 is arranged in housing 12 and held therein by closure member 13. Tension springs 5, 5 with strikers 5a, 5a are mounted on plate 14 by means of bolts 15, the plate being attached to cover 1 by bolts 16. Coil spring 17 holds the tension springs in horizontal posi tion on the plate 14. The tension springs are of nonmagnetic material.

The illustrated fuse operates as follows:

When a load is applied to pressure member 3 sufiicient to break pin 4, member 3 with its skirt 6 will be depressed and strikers 5a and 5a will be propelled through windows 11 under the pressure of springs 5, 5' to hit horizontally placed primer charge 9, thus initiating detonator 8.

Fig. 3 illustrates the fuse F used as initiating means for an anti-tank or similar land mine. The mine includes a main explosive charge 18 in casing 19 and a centrally arranged ignition body 20. The ignition body is removably mounted in a cavity in the main explosive charge. Pressure plate 22 is mounted on support frame 21 by means of frangible pins 23. The support frame has an annular flange 21a by means of which it may be held in position on the main explosive charge, casing rim 1911 serving as positioning means for the frame and pressure plate. The pressure plate has a centrally arranged protrusion 22a arranged to contact and depress pressure member 3 of the fuse when a load is applied to the pressure plate which suffices to break pins 23. The fuse will then initiate the detonator in the manner set forth hereinabove and ignition body 20 will set off the main explosive charge of the mine.

As will be clear from the above description, the invention provides an exceedingly simple, compact and safe construction of a fuse with horizontally swinging strikers and impact pressure exerted in a vertical direction. Such a fuse may be employed in a great variety of explosive devices and may be stored and transported separately from the main explosive charge. It may be used as a fuse for small anti-personnel mines and such aggregates may be placed into a main explosive charge of an antitank mine where they will then serve as initiating means for the main explosive charge.

The fuse of the invention may be stored and transported without explosive and without an ignition body. It may be simply assembled at the place of intended use with an ignition body to form an anti-personnel mine. Furthermore, this anti-personnel mine with the fuse may be placed into the cavity of a main explosive charge to form the detonating means of an anti-tank or similar land mine.

It will be clear from the above description that the fuse of the present invention may be used widely and for widely differing purposes. Many variations and modifications may occur to the skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A non-magnetic fuse for igniting an explosive charge, comprising a casing, a primer charge mounted in said casing, a pair of non-magnetic springs each carrying a striker mounted in said casing for horizontal movement adjacent the primer charge, vertically movable spring retaining means for holding the springs in cocked position out of contact with the primer charge in a normal, upper position of the retaining means, said retaining 4 means including a pressure member slidably mounted in sure member in said upper position unless suflicient presthe casing and an annular skirt integral with the pressure 1s applied thereto to break the pin. sure member, said skirt having a pair of side windows positioned above the primer charge in said upper posi- References Cited in the file of this patent tion of the pressure member and permitting propulsion UNITED STATES PATENTS of the strikers therethrough and into contact with the 2 393 713 Rasmussen APL 1 194 primer charge in a depressed position of the pressure 2,436,837 Traylor Mar. 2, 1948 member, and a frangible pin for maintaining the pres- 2,678,604 Walker May 18, 1954 

